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House of Eliott
Synopsis Series One Beatrice and Evangeline Eliott are left orphans (Beatrice is thirty and Evangeline, known as Evie, is eighteen) by their father's sudden death. They have to sell the family home as he has left them with no money. He has provided them with no education and no means of earning a living. To earn money they make use of their passion for dressmaking and Bea gets a job at a local photography studio run by Jack Maddox, soon to become a friend of the sisters and investor in their new London based dressmaking business "The House of Eliott", helped by the loyal and hardworking seamstress Tilly Watkins. A consistent theme is that of the men in their lives to stop Bea and Evie becoming independent (first their father and then cousin Arthur, executor of the father's estate and Evie's legal guardian, who keeps a rightful inheritance from the girls). Evie also dismisses a suitor who tricks her into missing a flight to Paris 'for her own good' although missing the flight saved Evie's life as the flight (piloted by another beau) crashed on the way to France, killing all aboard. After Arthur's arrest for involvement in drug smuggling he emigrates to Boston, USA, releasing a large amount of cash owed to the sisters from their father's estate allowing the sisters to expand the business and by the end of series one the future looks good, Evie celebrates her twenty-first birthday and is made a partner in the firm, and the firm is creating exclusive designs for the aristocracy. Series Two Bea and Evie go to France to learn more about fashion design. While there Bea marries her former employer and friend, Jack Maddox and they move back to London, leaving Evie alone in Paris to work at the fashion house "Maison Gilles". After a year and an affair with the designer Gilles Caragnac, a new glamorous and grown up Evie returns to work as the designer for the house of Eliott. She celebrates her twenty-first birthday and is made a partner in the firm and begins an affair with a married member of parliament. This causes complications throughout the series. Jack and Beatrice separate due to their inability to agree about whether to have children and the pressure of work as The House of Eliott goes from strength to strength and Jack's new career as a director of moving pictures takes him to Berlin. Meanwhile as the market for couture gowns wanes in the depression of the late 1920s, Beatrice and Evangeline are offered a tour of America showing their new ready-to-wear designs for the department store Sears Roebuck. Bea still has feelings for Jack. Back at the fashion house, after a crisis of confidence Tilly marries Norman Foss, a young chef in a local hotel, and has been reinstated as head of the workroom. She announces her pregnancy in the last episode of the series. Series Three Bea and Jack are reunited and become parents to their daughter Lucy. At work they hire Grace, a young woman designer to help them handle an increasing work load as their company expands. Larry Kotter, an aggressive businessman running a ready-to-wear garment firm, meets Evie and proposes a joint venture with HOE to market ready-to-wear garments for working women. After some hesitation, they sign an agreement with Larry to establish a new company to market under the name Aura Collection. Grace takes up much of the design work on the new line because she is more in tune with the needs of the working woman. Grace introduces Evie to two artist friends, a graphic artist named Miles who soon comes to work at HOE doing promotional materials and, Daniel Page, a painter whom Evie is deeply attracted to. HOE's loyal accountant, Joseph, who played an important role in exposing their embezzeling banker, Ralph Seroyne, in Season Two, takes on a more significant role in managing the Aura Collection and ultimately is appointed Managing Director. During the ramp up for launching the Aura Collection a mysterious fire breaks out in the Aura warehouse, setting back the launch date by several months. Just before the relaunch date, Joseph a copy of an Aura garment in one of the London department stores. Then they discover the Larry and Grace have been using the Aura facility to produce a cheaper line of garments and have pre-empted the Aura launch by selling this line to all the main London department stores, offering a kick-back to the buyers to faciliate their scheme. Meanwhile Jack has gravitated from film making to social journalism in support of the rights of the working poor and ultimately in invited to run for Parliament. Commentary on the Characters Beatrice *Bea lost her mother when she was 10 or 12 and had to grow up too quickly. Her father kept her at home, prevented her marriage and refused to confide in her. *He prevented either of the girls from getting a proper college education. *She learned to distrust men and rely only on her own resources. Already 30, she is resigned to die an old maid. *Even when Jack proposes, she cannot conceive that she can get married and have children, just as Elizabeth could never conceive that Darcy would propose to her. *Even for a long time after she does come to believe it, she is unable to give up her sense of self-reliance and independence. *Tight with money which we later discover he was spending on a night club, a mistress and her son, the girls are forced to make clothes from remnants. Thereby they develop a talent for design and dress-making. *Bea is deeply bitter about her father’s conduct and has a great sense of deprivation because of the way she was raised. In year 1 episode 5 the dissipated wealthy socialite Daphne comes and tells her how much she envy’s Bea for her accomplishments and how much she has wasted her own life. Here is life telling her that the hardships she has suffered have made her what she is – forged the aspiration, fire and strength of character that makes her a success. Whereas the lack of challenge in Daphne’s life has become a curse. Life brings this to make Bea conscious of her good fortune. Evangaline *Evie’s mother died in child birth. Bea who was 12 years older acted as her mother and raised her. * The spoiled younger daughter who has not had to grow up quickly and sacrifice, throughout the story Evie chooses what attracts her while Bea denies herself out of sense of responsibility. * Evie never knew her mother, but at least she had one. Sebastian confronts Evie with the fact that he never knew who his father was. Life brings this to make Evie conscious of her good fortune. In Bea she had a real mother. * Evie missed the flight to Paris with Sebastian because of an intentional delay by her other suitor. Sebastian’s plane crashes. The delay saved her life. Jack *Jack is the spoiled son of idealistic reformer (Fabian) parents and a idealistic sister, Jack has started life with no values or serious pursuits. * Jack rudely insults Bea the first time they meet when he says that Evie is too young and pretty to be his secretary but Bea will do just fine. Like Darcy, who slighted Elizabeth at the first ball telling Bingley she was only ‘tolerable’ and then had to run after Elizabeth and brook her insults before she agreed to marry him, Jack too has to wait a long time and ask Bea repeatedly before she finally consents to marry him. Neither of them may have remembered the slight, but life did. * He is attracted to Bea for her aspiration, character and values which he lacks. * As Bea rises, they become estranged. He want her and a child. She wants a career and achievement. Their estrangement becomes the occasion for Jack to examine himself and seek a more meaningful career. * When she goes to America for Sear’s promotion, he goes to Germany and takes the first step toward a meaningful career. * Bea responds to his inner growth without knowing it and begins to miss him when he is not present on his return. * He moves from society photographer to romantic film maker, from romantic films to war films with a social message, from films to journalism on social causes, from journalism to politics to uplift the poor. * Jack blossoms as an individual when he forgets Bea and dedicates himself to a worth cause. That brings back Bea. Lydia and Arthur *Both of them are overbearing, unsympathetic, mean and condescending, even commenting on the poor arrangements for Dr. Eliott’s funeral. *When Arthur wants to give them some money, Lydia prevents it. At her insistence, Arthur withholds 400 pounds due to them on the excuse that they would waste it, but actually to keep them vulnerable and dependent. * The girls spurn Lydia and Arthur’s support. * Evie returns his present of a ring and rejects his marriage proposal categorically and rudely. * The same night Arthur proposes to Evie, Piggy asks Bea to come away with him to Birmingham where he will seek work as an actor. His is not even a legal marriage proposal. But Bea rejects it very kindly because he has been so good and kind to them. Character of Life in House of Eliott The Secret *Their aspiration from the beginning is to start a fashion house. *Even when they discover they are broke, they fantasize about starting a fashion house. *They remain hopeful and cheerful despite the difficult humiliating circumstances. *The Secret of their success :*Aspiration to accomplish :*Goodwill and harmony for each other :* Good values toward other people :*Sense of self-respect and self-reliance – they do not want to depend on others :*Unselfishness -- Bea refuses to condemn Evie for her affair with Alexander even when it threatens to destroy the business. Ultimately it turns out that Evie is not responsible for Alexander’s forced resignation. Life Response After their father’s unexpected death and the discovery that he has left almost no money behind, the Eliott sisters are forced to seek employment and support themselves. The three years are a story of one struggle after another as they rise step by step from near poverty and social oblivion into success and respectable high society. *Dr. Eliott dies. *They discover they have no money and need to work. *Arthur is appointed guardian and lords over the girls. Life responds immediately to their aspiration but they do not understand its significance until later on *They discover their father’s silk shirts and make some good clothes for themselves. *Because Arthur refuses to let Evie be dancing partner, she goes into garment industry which becomes the basis for HOE. *Leaving Arthur’s after his refusal, Evie meets Jack’s sister Penelope. They meet Tilly who becomes their first employee. She introduces Jack who hires BEA. They later move their business to Jack’s building and eventually take over the whole building. Bea’s future husband appears in the beginning and is a crucial friend and support throughout. *Mrs. Partini, their first employer in garment industry, benefits by their talent but refuses to pay them according to their worth. It is Grace forcing them to go out on their own. *Aunt Lydia comes and berates them for leaving Mrs. Partini. While she is their Bea receives job offer for both of them from Mr. Duroque, a more well-known and prestigious couturier for whom Partini previously worked. They are pushed up in life and Lydia’s assertion is undermined. *When Evie tries to introduce new design elements Duroque scolds her in an offensive manner. When one of his customers rejects all his designs and asks Evie’s advice, she shows the customer an innovation which delights her and gives the credit to Duroque. Duroque then abuses Evie and warns her if it happens again, she will be fired. Later the same client approaches Evie directly to make clothes for her – business that would have gone to Duroque if he had been open to new ideas. They reluctantly accept it because Duroque has been so offensive that they feel no obligation to him. Later they find he has stolen some of Evie’s designs and claimed them as his own. Bea confronts him and demands compensation and recognition for Evie’s work. A friend of Lydia’s who does business with Duroque comes asking him for new styles like those of the other client. Just then Evie enters with the other client who is wearing one of Evie’s designed made by her at home. The secret comes out and Duroque fires them. It is life compelling them to seize the opportunity. *At a Christmas day party 1921 Bea and Evie announce they are going into business for themselves. Jack and Piggy both offer to invest. The following week Bea approaches a number of banks with a business proposal but they all turn her down because she is a woman. Jack writes a check to invest as a partner. A few days later Piggy comes. Jack reminds him of his offer of investment. Piggy announces that he had invested all his money in one stock and lost everything he had after he made the offer of money to Bea. *Desmond, who has been alienated by Dr. Eliott, comes back to befriend them and offer valuable advice and assistance. Goodwill There is a strong atmosphere of goodwill and affection that underpins their success *Penelope’s goodwill for the sisters and Tilly. She introduces Jack, resulting in Bea’s job as his secretary. Later that leads to their moving into the same building as his office occupies at No. 24. *Tilly’s loyalty and close bonds with them *Jack becomes their first employer, first investor, a constant source of good will and support throughout. *Piggy offers that goodwill as well. *Desmond takes deep fatherly interest in them. *Most of all it is the genuine and deep affection of the two sisters for each other that sees them through all the crises as they rise in life. Money *The business desperately needs money following the loss of business due to the scandal of Evie and Alexander *When Bea and Evie refuse to ask anyone for help, life responds. *Jack offers money on his own, which Bea refuses. *Alexander offers money unasked, which Evie refuses to take. *When they both refuse, news comes that a new class of theater clients is coming to them because of the scandal, not in spite of it. Business starts to boom. Harmony Each time the sisters quarrel they become vulnerable and land in trouble. When they quarrel over Daniel’s ugly portrait of a scheming client, they fail to note Tatia’s suspicion that something is wrong at Aurora. Challenges become Opportunities Each difficulty becomes a stepping stone for them to rise *Denied a good education and forced to make their own clothes, the girls have developed a precious talent and a love of fashion that becomes the foundation for their career success. *Evie and Bea become underpaid seamstresses who are forced to quit treats both the girls rudely and refuses to pay them well. *Their second employer abuses Evie and refuses to acknowledge her talent even when clients appreciate it. His abuse persuades them to accept a private assignment from one of the clients which becomes the seed of HOE. *They leave their second employer when he steals Evie’s designs and refuses to give her money or credit. This forces them to start their own company. Gossip The duchess, a former actress married into aristocracy comes to House of Eliot (HOE) for a fitting. As she gets down from the car, the flower merchants cart tips over. The duchess goes and buys flowers from her paying generously and gives them to the staff of HOE. During the fitting she speaks loosely about the romantic encounter of two her guests the previous weekend. Agnes overhears the story, gets it confused and leaks news to a reporter implicating the duchess, resulting in a scandalous article the next day. The duchess cancels further business with HOE. Agnes is about to lose her job, but is saved by sympathy after the reporter gives her a beating. *The accidental leak of wrong information is foreshadowed by the accident with the flower cart. *An actress turned duchess cannot give up her old habits of gossip and is punished for that by life. *The vibration of gossip enjoyed by all the ladies attracts the reporter for a newspaper which thrives on rumor and scandal. *Agnes is physically beaten by life for her stupidity, but spared losing her job. Agnes *She is the one who stole the earings and gave HOE a bad name with the jeweler. *She is the source of the duchess’s scandal. * She is the source of the quarrel in the bar that leads to imprisonment of Betty’s husband. * She is the one who lets her boyfriend into the building where he steals Tilly’s purse and Tatia is blamed for it. Grace brings Grace *The first time she comes, she cheats HOE by selling the same design to them and to a retail store. Her initial act repeats when she and Kotter sell the Aurora ready-to-wear duplicates to HOE customers. * She is young, ambitious and without values. She was attracted to HOE because they too are young aspiring women seeking to be self-reliant. Coming from a lower class, she lacks their values which are the keys to their success and her failure. * She is key designer of the highly successful Aurora line which launched HOE into ready-to-wear business which will become their future. * Through Grace, Evie’s future husband Daniel comes. * Through Grace, their future designer Miles comes. * Through Grace, their future investor, Miles’ father comes. * Through Grace, Miles father tells Jack about Carrouber’s dishonest past, which becomes key to Jack winning the election and becoming MP. Misfortune All those who relate to them during the early days of their struggle meet with misfortune. *Sebastian dies in a plane crash. * Arthur is cheated by his night club partners, loses his money and reputation and is forced to move to Boston. * Aunt Lydia is socially outcast because of her son Arthur’s scandal. * Piggy offers to invest in HOE and then immediately learns that he has lost all his money in the stock market and must himself look for employment. * Their banker and Evie’s godfather, Desmond, is murdered by his partner. * Desmond’s partner, Ralph Suroine (?), who killed Desmond and cheated the bank’s clients is driven out of business and forced into exile to escape arrest. * Alexander, cabinet secretary, who helps them expose Ralph Suroine, is forced to resign over the banking scandal and his affair with Evie and to take up a lesser post in Italy while his wife loses here post at the palace. * Tilly’s baby dies. * Bette’s husband is unjustly convicted of man-slaughter and sentenced to 10 years in prison. * Madge’s marriage falls apart after her trip to USA. * Grace and Larry Kotter cheat HOE and lose their business. Good fortune At a later stage, all those who relate to them positively prosper *Penelope becomes a missionary and gets married? * Jack rises from social photographer to newspaper columnist and eventually to MP. * Daniel rises from impoverished artist who cannot afford to paint to a successful artist who receives a prestigious bursary for study in Paris. * Agnes becomes a stage singer. * Madge and Charles fall in love. Madge eventually becomes manager of HOE’s ready to wear line. * Joseph rises from a dishonored accountant fired by Desmond’s partner into Managing Director of HOE. * Miles rises from student artist to fashion designer and partner in HOE. * Tatia finds a good job and career with HOE. Comments by Episode Season 1 Episodes 1-9 There is an evolutionary movement (biological, social, and spiritual) that is unfolding in life. It actually ranges from progress to transformation. When each side makes a transition, they are not only aligning to one another, but to this evolutionary force or vortex. It is in fact through the alignment of these two sides, that they are able to join, to be pulled along collectively by this evolutionary force. Episode 10 *There is conflict between Bea and Evie :*what the customer wants vs. what new thing you can bring to the client :*organizational efficiency vs creativity :*practicality vs creativity :*Customer Delights vs Catching the wave *Bea tries to strike a balance; at least is more inclined to do so than Evie. *The artist can be temperamental, uncompromising. *'Even 10% compromise might allow the artist's COMPLETE FULFILLMENT AND SUCCESS!' And yet .. *When Bea tries to strike a balance, Jack suddenly appears on the scene. Advocates of Harmony Attract Positive Life Response. *Jack then comes over to Bea's side in the dispute, indicating that Bea is more flexible and allowing for a degree of creativity. The is a continuation, a followup of the previous followup life response to Bea when Jack arrives. *'A person who brags about a personal quality -- e.g. being tolerant -- is often the opposite.' *Evie does not want to compromise. In a huff, she goes off to museum and comes up with ideas for new dresses based on the butterfly. When she shows it to Bea, B is cool to them. She also tells her that she (B) has taken on an absurd sort of project for one of their clients. Both responses infuriate Evie. It is a negative life response to her anger and the resulting trip to the museum. A negative response to her unwillingness to compromise. (The positive energy is now with Bea.) Evie's artist temperament of uncompromise is preventing progress; even progress for her own designs. *(re: Jack) When people are nervous, they drink and smoke; never considering that one can move to a deeper consciosuness to calm one's self, let alone have the equality to see that the neagtive can be learned from and even reversed. *Jack seems to attract work whenever he focuses on new work. Unfortunately, he is not organized enough to constantly aspire for work. It is the dilemma of a person working for themselves in a creative craft, or any entrepreneur for that matter. *Through Jack’s sister, Evie sees the pig-headedness of her ways, and returns to compromise with Bea. A big order suddenly arrives, which includes an order from the daughter of a client(a creative one coming from the younger generation, just what Evie's creative nature yearns for). A positive life response for the House of Eliott due to Evie's change in attitude. *The fine, passive diplomacy of Desmond is surpassed by the active diplomacy of his daughter Rose, who helps work things out by discovering points of agreement between the sisters. *Evie is willing to give in a little, and so Desmond and Rose appear on the scene to invite them to dinner, opening the door to the compromise. Lesson: A small opening of compromise (change of attitude) attracts an even greater change! *'This is a great episode on conflict resolution!' *'The role of the negotiator is to find where people agree -- even if its the smallest of things -- and work things out from there.' Rose does this! (Jean Luc Picard of Star Trek is a master of this; one of the reasons he is so respected throughout the galaxy.) Episode 11 *Evie hereafter has an intuition of the Nocturne line (based on the music of Chopin and a Whistler painting). This is a life response to her willingness for compromise. It is also an alignment and response for Bea who had mentally striven to come up with ideas for the line. (Power of intention.) (Bea's intensity to discover a line, allowed Evie to be taken by the hypnotic music and come up with the Nocturne line; and vice versa.) *(In episode 10) Lydia, whose invitations to her party is turned down by the invitees due to Arthur's scandal, is till generous enough to give the check o the hospital fund. Suddenly thereafter (here in Chapter 11), she receives word from her son Arthur. (This is an immediate positive response to her generosity, and would later lead to her beginning a new life with her son in Boston.) *Bea is now even willing to be involved in the mixing colors. Bea and Evie are now shifting completely to the opposite of their previous uncompromising positions. Bea is advocating daring and mixing colors and Evie a certain conservative refinement in the dresses. In such a long-term positive atmosphere between them, they can easily flip to the complete opposite! The power of a changed attitude, and work of Rose continue to vibrate forward. *Now they are willing to be more daring together. As a result they turn down a customer of the old sort. That customer feels insulted and leaves. (Is the customer of the old guard and therefore suffer, or are Bea and Evie insensitive a bit here? Perhaps both. Yet the overall movement toward new creativity in their line is now well under way.) *At each point where Bea and Evie decide to go higher in their accomplishment, there's a little static from the forces, the parties they are breaking away from. yet they have the confidence to slough them off and move higher. They have youth, self-confidence, and blossoming talents.(Meanwhile Jack is having a similar experience as he moves up from photography to film.) *Bea and Evie were fired from the 2 previous couturiers they worked for. The owners perceived that they did something wrong; which was not true. They were the victims of harsh treatment in those episodes, that they didn't deserve. Madge (sp?) acted similarly under them, yet the sisters did not fire her. They have learned positively from their past experiences; and they have a more tolerant nature; less ego to protect that their former two employers. *When Bea and Evie try to higher up through Victor Stride, they open themselves up to a scurrilous journal article that want to link them back to Arthur and his scandal. When a (fashion) person tries to rise up without the necessary power, they are knocked down from above. Episode 12 *Evie expresses confidence, and will not be bothered by the harsh journal article. It shows that they may even have the power to rise up even higher. I.e. she is not bothered by the negative force from above, which give then power. Evie's confidence enables this, a trait she has shown before. *Life responds to Evie’s positive attitude and strength when the journal reverses its precious serious accusations, publishing an article that is favorable to the House of Eliott. *Evie showed strength and an intuitive capacity to get at the cause of the scandal where the rivals (including Yollande) blamed House of Elliot for plagiarizing the designs, when they in fact stole their collection before the presentation, which could have ruined House of Eliott. Evie's confidence and positive attitude save the day. "We're unstoppable!" *Because Jack resented that Bea would not devote herself fully to him in order to tend to her work, Jack becomes the vehicle for her and her sister's near ruin of the presentation, when the break in to steal a copy of the designs happens at his studios. He is not the cause of the treachery, only a vehicle for the theft. Yet he is too positive, and all is resolved.) *Even at the end, Evie is forgiving of the woman (Yollande) who tried to destroy her by stealing the designs. She has sympathy for her plight; This is a telling part of her nature, and a powerful example of forgiveness and self-givingness. Life is bound to respond to it. *Despite Penelope's protestations (and her good works for the underprivileged), there's a startling amount of goodwill and integration taking place amongst the 3 or 4 social classes through this group of individuals in the story. From lowest class (through the vehicle of Penelope, and Evie who attracted Penelope and Jack through her kindness to a suffering street person at the outset of the story; up through the middle class (that the 2 sisters are essentially part of), to the wealthy at the top (including Desmond). Even the upper crust aunt Lydia has been working for the poor. Season 2 Episode 13 *When work is pending our right attitudes are all important. Jack worries that the film studio has not gotten back to him. Focus is good, but worry and indolence are not. It can only delay or even cancel. E.g. he is offered other photo work, yet he turns it own insisting that he is waiting fro the film to come through. Often it is required to take up a token work that comes to release the bigger work. When the film finally does come through it is smaller than expected. *Bea takes the initiative to be invited to a gathering. She quickly receives the invitation in the mail. She had the sense of asking to be invited at just the right time. She is focused on expanding the work. We may not call this life response, but it is, for the invitation came immediately. (E.g. the invitation didn’t have to be accepted at all.) Bea perceived the opening and took it at the right time, and life responded with positive results. Nothing magical here – because cause and effect were obvious -- but she did gain the cooperation of life. *The proprietor of Maison Gilles comes to visit. He gives his critique of Hof E, and says they are disorganized just as an incident of disorganization takes place. He offers them an opportunity to work at his company in Paris. He even says that after working for them for five years, they can have their own designer house. They head to Paris to feel it out. *Desmond never makes decisions for others, that others need to make for themselves. It is a special quality, almost guru-like. From his side is a capacity of equality of being. *Jack gets a small film job. (See note above.) He proposes to Bea and she accepts. His energies are flowing. These are for him two positive responses, though there seems to be a limitation behind each. His intention is there for each, but there is a strain to create both, indicating certain limitations now and later. *Evie accepts working for Maison Gilles. Bea and Jack return to London. House of Elliot is no longer quite a partnership of the two sisters. Episode 14 *The business is having financial problems. *There is a new supervisor Mrs. Ranley (sp.) who is overbearing and even negative. *'As soon as Bea is firm with Mrs. R, Evie appears at the door returning from her stay in Paris. It is a life response to strength, and holding down the negative influence. Also, when Bea takes the initiative to hire a replacement for Evie, Evie returns from Paris. So there was a double cause of the attraction. ' *Desmond dies of an apparent suicide. The House of Elliot goes through an expansion. There is an ongoing conflict between Mrs. R and Tillie (sp?), the head seamstress. Mrs. R spreads gossipy lies about Jack’s alleged romance with his old girlfriend X whom he was once engaged to and now appears on the scene apparently to get her photos taken by Jack. Through this woman’s recommendation, they hire Alice Boyagne (sp?), another couturier, who has proved a disaster in that she has not brought over the clients they had anticipated, plus her pay is to high for HofE. Jack anticipates and discovers that his old girlfriend was behind this, confronts her, to which she admits pure revenge against him for breaking off their engagement in the past. *In an atmosphere of good will, lies, deceptions, and revenge quickly reveal themselves fro what they are. Episode 15 *This is a powerful episode that reveals several important points about life. *People can say all of the right things -- e.g. in an interview -- and not mean it, i.e. be deceptive. The truth of the thing is not the words spoken, but the intention behind. Mrs. R has a friend apply for a job at HofE, and says all the righr things at the interview because she is completely rehearsed by Mrs. R, who tells her exactly what to say. It is shameful deceit, that the two sisters see right through. The sisters are bright and aware. (E.g. They suspect deceipt in the death of Desmond.) *'In one of the most important moments in the show, Evie rather than being bitter, takes to a positive view of the whole Alice Boyence (sp?) affair (that came through the revenge of Jack’s former girlfriend). Evie’s positive spin on these events instantly attracts Mrs. Douglas' (sp?), who then meets with Alice (who has been kept on at the company), has a wonderful experience with her discussing potential gowns, relays that information to Evie, who is then invited by Mrs. D to her house. Evie is having all of the experiences of the Douglas’s – including her connection to James, being involved with the Douglas daughter, the uplifting of the father, etc. -- because of her positive attitude in the earlier affair; taking an open view rather than being vindictive. This is one of the most telling psychological moments in the entire story. *to be continued See also *Wikipedia Overview *Episode Guide Category:Life in Movies Category:Accomplishment Category:Life Response